


Second Impressions

by UnrealRomance



Series: Impressions and Deductions [2]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/M, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-15
Updated: 2016-03-15
Packaged: 2018-05-26 22:54:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6259030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UnrealRomance/pseuds/UnrealRomance
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Here's Thane's second impression of Shepard. Companion piece to What I First Thought-- but you don't need to read that one to get this one.</p><p>Shepard takes Thane on his first mission since being recruited. She is a puzzle to him, and he is nowhere near figuring her out.</p><p>Thane P.O.V.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Second Impressions

The first mission Shepard takes me on is a mere day after I'm recruited to her cause.

Surprising, considering the fact that she, the Turian and the Quarian seem so close. I am an unknown variable. I had thought at least a few smaller assignments would be in my future before I was trusted at her back.

It may have something to do with the fact that the Quarian departed yesterday shortly after we all returned to Shepard's ship. She and Shepard hugged in the airlock and said their goodbyes. From what I could gather, the Quarian is working for her own government and spends her leave with Shepard.

Odd.

The mission is on Illium. Shepard intends to recruit an Asari Justicar, who is on the hunt for a criminal.

As I understand it, there are five human members of the crew that Shepard could take with her.

Jack and Miranda, both female, both biotics. They do not seem to care for one another, though Jack seems somewhat fond of Shepard in her own, violent way. Miranda is respectful, but distant.

Jacob, the human who expressed doubt about my loyalties. Male, biotic, soldier turned agent. Though...

...

_Shepard squints at the male agent across the table and he stills in expectation of something. Eyes intent on each other, they are both asserting something._

_Shepard tilts her head, just slightly. Inquisitive, but mocking. "You don't like mercenaries."_

" _No." He responds, eyes narrowing. Wondering where she's going with this. I wonder the same, though I suspect..._

" _What are_ you _, exactly?" Shifting her weight, Shepard leans on the briefing table. Strength, nonchalance, she does not want nor need his opinion-though she cannot let him go uncorrected. "You aren't military, you're working for a terrorist organization...sounds like a mercenary to me. Contracted, even."_

_The human huffs in distaste and brushes past me on his way back to the armory._

...

Sighing deeply at the memory, I lean back against the entrance to the police station and glance through the clear windows.

Shepard is still talking with the Justicar and the police officer.

It isn't as though I hadn't expected some opposition to Shepard's recruitment of an assassin. It was simply a shock to be defended. Shepard obviously doesn't approve of my tactics, though she commended me for the lives saved in the tower.

She shouldn't, it wasn't nearly enough. _'Amonkira forgive me my sloppiness.'_ I think idly, distaste at the rampant loss of life clinging to me.

She is a soldier, and soldiers attack from the front. I am an assassin and I attack from the shadows. Neither approach is wrong, just...different. Though many would argue that point. Shepard seems content with knowing where she stands.

Zaeed is a male mercenary, and Kasumi a female thief. They both seem to be quite respectful, though Kasumi is warmer in her regard and Zaeed is...puzzling.

I wonder to myself, _'With so many of her own kind to choose from, why does she seem to choose aliens more often than anything?'_

Shepard seems especially fond of the Salarian, Mordin Solus. Delighted by his speech patterns, sharp and staccato- often laughing in response to an observation that is a bit too blunt.

Shepard steps out the front doors, her usual stride hampered by a slight dip to her shoulders.

"Bad news?" The Turian picks up on it, tilting his head at her.

Garrus Vakarian is somewhat of an anomaly. An independent, hot-headed element. Though he is more controlled than most renegade police officers, I'll give him that.

"The Justicar can only stay in custody one day, which is great and all." She sighs. "But it means if we don't find anything, we'll have to either contain or kill her just to protect the police officers _from_ her."

"Are you worried we won't find anything?" Garrus asks, following her with such closeness and practiced grace it is as if she is the sun and he is caught in her orbit.

' _He was there when she first began her campaign against the Reapers. The assault on the Citadel, the defeat of Sovereign.'_ They are even closer than I first estimated.

"I'm worried we'll send the Justicar on a mission somewhere else she can kill a whole lot of people she might not need to." Shepard mutters. "We're questioning Pitne For. Samara thinks he'll know something about the hideout."

Shepard is fair in her interrogation, though she isn't afraid to threaten the Volus when it becomes obvious he thinks he can lie to her. I'm uncertain whether she has extensive training in perceiving lies or she's just guessing- but the Volus crumbles and gives her a keycard, admitting to his illegal smuggling ring.

A drug that can enhance biotics, but can kill or seriously injure the biotic in the process...

Shepard is livid, but turns her back on the Volus.

She mutters to herself as she walks away, "I'll come back for him later, I'll come back for him later."

As it seems to be for her own ears only, I say nothing. But I catch Garrus's eye as we walk and he tips me a somewhat lopsided grin. My response is to arch a brow.

It is a quiet ascent in the elevator, silent and still.

Shepard draws an SMG and Garrus his sniper rifle. I decide to draw my pistol. Eclipse mercenaries means biotics. Also mechs, as we saw just this morning. It would be better to draw attention away from Garrus and allow him the space to take out his targets.

I am unused to being the distraction and not the sniper.

The first fight doesn't run long. It isn't arduous as battles go, and I wonder if Shepard finds herself bored. She is rolling from cover to cover, taking her shots but never quite aiming to kill. It is no wonder, with Garrus at her back with that rifle.

Silenced, the rifle draws barely any attention. Three shots in succession take out three mercenaries behind the same barricade, guarding themselves from myself and Shepard but forgetting the Turian in the corner.

Shepard merely needs to make them forget, and that does not require any death on her end. Just enough to drop or severely damage their shields and armor.

My pistol kills more than her SMG, but she and Garrus combined kill more than twice as many as I do, as we make our way across the room.

When the dust settles, Shepard is already disarming and scanning omni-tools for information. I scout ahead and around the room while she and Garrus gather intel, credits and whatever else they might need.

There are bins around the room, filled with the red drug Pitne has been peddling.

"That the Minagen?" Shepard steps up on my right, distracted from her task. "EDI, can you analyze it?" A scan with her omni-tool.

" _It would seem the substance is highly toxic, as the Volus said._ "The A.I. responds. " _It would be wise to avoid inhaling it. It could be advantageous to your enemies in battle to do so, but it would burn them out in large quantities._ "

"All they'd have to do is crack it open, just a little." Shepard agrees with a put-upon sigh. "I don't know how to defend against that, so we'll just plan around it. You're a biotic, right?" Shepard looks to me with something similar to a pout. "Can you neutralize or weaken other biotic attacks at all?"

I consider that for a moment, wondering what she will ask me to do. "I can redirect the energy, if it is not too forceful."

"So if it's amped up on Minagen, you wouldn't be able to?" She lifts a brow.

' _Ah.'_ I feel a twitch in the corner of my mouth.

"I could, though it would still hit its intended target. It would be like knocking a charging Krogan off-balance." I illustrate with my hands. "It would still smack into the body it intended or at least the same general area, but the force and accuracy would be diminished."

"If one of them happens to get close to Garrus, I want you to do that." She says.

"What of you?" I ask. So far as I've seen, she is not a biotic.

Her lips curve up and she shakes her head. A reaction I tend to get from humans in response to my cadence of speech. "I'm a bit more...practiced-at avoiding biotic attacks." She rolls her eyes. "Liara and I trained extensively on the SR-1, just so I could refine my particular...technique."

I am curious to see what kind of technique this is.

Shepard takes point and leads the way into the second room. There is a weapons locker that Shepard makes her way toward. She makes a satisfied sound and pulls a Scimitar shotgun out of the locker.

"Grunt or Jack will love this thing." She says as she slots it into the space just behind her hips.

There is a door to our right, and Shepard approaches it with no caution whatsoever. Gun drawn, but pose relaxed. She taps the door control and tilts her head once it's open. "Hello." She calls out to someone inside.

Garrus and I step up behind her on either side, he on her right and me to her left.

An Asari is crouching behind some cover. "Don't shoot me! Please, I had to pretend to be like the others but I never wanted to be a mercenary!"

"If you've got your armor, you've already killed for it." Shepard leans back on her left leg, left hand on her hip, gun pointed at the Asari. "Who did you kill?"

"Fuck you, bitch!" She tries to lift an Assault rifle, but my trigger finger is faster.

I pause for a moment once she's fallen to gauge Shepard's reaction. I had expected her gun to go off before mine.

She shrugs and puts away her SMG, walking over to scan the Asari's omni-tool and recover as much data on the hideout as possible. "Thanks, Thane."

I realize I've just been tested, and I am amused.

Shepard could have squeezed the trigger much faster than the mercenary, but chose to stay her hand. She knew the Turian would have something ready, I'll assume. She wanted to see how I'd react to her being threatened by danger.

I shake my head and leave her to her scavenging in favor of scouting ahead, yet again. When I return, I give a report on the enemies awaiting us.

"Mechs, biotics _and_ a whole bunch of heavy weaponry." She contemplates our next course of action. "Thane, you should find somewhere away from the action to snipe from, Garrus will go the other direction."

"You're going to be distraction all by yourself?" Garrus sighs. "Just don't get shot or blown up if you can help it, and I'll be happy."

The Turian and I head up the stairs ahead of Shepard and separate, taking cover and darting from shadow to shadow until we each have a perch. I cannot see him, but I will know as soon as his rifle strikes.

Shepard walks up the stairs, shotgun in hand- oddly enough. Shepard doesn't seem to use shotguns much.

She grins, a wide baring of teeth that has nothing to do with happiness. It is feral and destructive. And then she shouts for their attention and shoots a mercenary in the back before she can get away or turn and shoot.

Shepard weaves her way through the battlefield as Garrus and I take aim and destroy the opposition. Even without us, I have no doubt she could've cleared this room all on her own. It would have taken her longer and she would be bruised and scraped by the end of it, but she would be victorious.

I never understood when people said they thought her indestructible. Her death was a shock to many, for many reasons...but some simply thought she was immortal. I see now, what they meant.

Following Garrus as he leaves his perch for her side, I consider the influx of new information.

' _She tested my abilities in the first battle, is gauging my loyalty with every new challenge and is perhaps waiting to see how I will react to her leadership style.'_ It is much like she is simply asking. Shepard is not the type of leader to bark orders unless higher volume is necessary, it seems. She is softer and more insistent. _'Nearly manipulative.'_

I hadn't expected her to be quite so masterful at it. Either that or... _'Or she is sincere and this is simply her way.'_ I would believe it, she is a genuine person much of the time.

Shepard huffs and sweeps her hair out of her face with one hand, replacing her shotgun in the slot behind her hips. "I'm actually breaking a sweat, damn."

"You've been out of action for two years, and you're pushing it lately." Garrus admonishes her. "I know you want to get back to the condition you were in before, but you can't do it if you're constantly recovering from all the damage you're doing to yourself."

"I just want to fill out my team as soon as possible. Once I know how everyone works, I can delegate some stuff." She grunts and stretches, cracking her spine. "You're going to be leading a team yourself, so be prepared for my backseat leader-ing over the Comms."

"I still think that's a bad idea." He huffs and strokes the barrel of his rifle. "We've already seen what happens when I lead."

"Yeah." She agrees, giving him a look over her shoulder. "You become a thorn in the side of every merc organization nearby and piss them all off enough they band together to kill you. That is no small accomplishment, my friend."

"Anyone could irritate mercs." He strides off ahead of her, and she laughs in response.

"Not on the scale you did, Gare." She says.

They are friends first, Commander and subordinate second. It is an odd configuration that shouldn't work.

And yet, somehow it does.

The docking bay we come upon is especially hazardous. Shepard uses the missile launcher on her back to severely damage a Gunship before it can take off, but now every Asari in the bay knows we're here.

"Is it a habit of Shepard's to draw attention, or is it an unfortunate side-effect of her fighting style?" I ask over the Comms, and as I had hoped- Garrus responds.

" _Fighting style? Shepard doesn't have a fighting style, she just sort of stomps into places and shoots at whatever moves._ "

" _Not true. Sometimes I talk first._ " She quips.

" _Oh, beg pardon._ " Garrus rumbles with soft laughter. " _She shoots at whatever shoots_ back _at her. Everyone else she just pistol whips._ "

" _Don't make the assassin think I'm an idiot, Garrus- it's bad for business._ " She darts out of cover and rushes an Asari, omni-blades flashing into place. " _You just can't appreciate my genius._ "

" _Sure, Shepard. Genius._ " Garrus snorts.

We are finished before I realize it's over. I blink, and shake my head. The canisters were blown open and I have been getting entirely too close to them.

My vision is beginning to waver a bit, though not enough to be alarmed, I think. Deploying medi-gel and taking a few deep breaths, I debate putting on my recon hood.

"Thane?" Shepard is closer, walking over to me.

I lift my head and open my eyes. "Yes?"

She frowns, but says nothing, moving on with us at her back.

' _I will not slow her down, it isn't important.'_ I think to myself.

We move into an empty room, and Shepard begins refilling her Medi-gel with the dispenser. Garrus moves to a terminal and scans it, pulling up an audio log.

"Is that the Asari we shot who was hiding?" Shepard recognizes the voice. "I was right, she _was_ already a murderer." Her mouth twists. " _And_ a coward. Pretending to be innocent instead of owning her choices. Either too young to know better or a psychopath." When she says 'too young' her expression drops and she turns away.

"Let's move on." Garrus takes the audio file for evidence and Shepards leads us onward.

Loki mechs, easily taken care of. But then the gunship. And now I understand why Shepard took her shot while she could in the hangar bay.

It isn't precisely a longer battle than before, but it is more perilous.

We must be constantly in motion to avoid the spray from the guns and the missiles. Shepard shouts for us to aim at the guns themselves, not the gunship.

She is correct in assuming disabling the weaponry will make the fight easier, though they are still able to shoot missiles every few moments until they run out.

When they think to retreat- Shepard stands, bracing her foot on a packing crate and aims with her own missile launcher.

The gunship goes down.

Shepard finds more ammo for her missile launcher in an ammo crate nearby. "Probably going to be someone in here who's got a couple of these."

Why have missiles for a weapon you don't have? I agree.

I refill my own medi-gel stores before we move on. Garrus pauses to take stock of his mods and even switches a few out from the pouches on his armor.

When we walk into the hall between rooms, there is a Volus.

I pause, but Shepard does not. She and Garrus stride right up to the small biotic as he flickers with overfed power.

"I am a biotic god." He tells her.

Shepard sits back on her left foot and crosses her arms, tries not to look amused though she obviously is. "I think you need a nap, little guy."

The Volus thinks he will be able to defeat the Asari who heads the entire operation in this hideout. Is unaffected by the news that his fellow smuggler Pitne For is unconconcerned by his disappearance.

Shepard taps him when he turns to enter the next room, and he falls over. Protesting, speaking in broken sentences and waddling off once he realizes exactly how fatigued he is.

"Poor guy's gonna need medical attention to get over that drug." She hums and gives the Volus a worried look as he walks back through the door we came from. "I'll tell Anaya to find him when we get out of here."

As I thought, compassionate. Almost to an extreme. Not only limited to potential allies.

The Eclipse's leader, Wasea is waiting for us. Shepard fires on her while she speaks, seeming to shock the henchmen and Wasea both.

Garrus takes her cue and kills Wasea with a headshot before her shields can recover or she is able to put up a barrier.

Shepard makes quick work of the remaining mercenaries, Garrus and I taking our shots from behind the first row of cover.

Her omni-blade is utilized more than a few times. Odd considering her rampant kindness. She doesn't seem the type to grant death painfully or to revel in the act itself. Blades are usually only for those who wish to inflict pain, get up close and personal or as a last resort.

' _She is a contradiction to herself.'_ I decide. Some people are.

Shepard finds the name of the ship, the AML Demeter- and we search the immediate area for credits and information before leaving.

"Looks like I've got some evidence against Pitne For." Shepard checks her omni-tool as we descend the elevator. "Anaya is gonna either love me, or hate me."

"She seems the type to love you." Garrus comments off-hand. "Not too bothered by your butting into her crime scene, thrilled about you trying to take Samara off her hands...seems sensible."

"Hopefully." She sighs.

The Justicar is relieved at the news, and the detective is thankful for the evidence against Pitne For and the murderer Elnora.

Samara swears an oath, on bended knee. Flickering with biotic power.

Shepard sighs once she's standing back on her feet, looking a bit overwhelmed. "I can see that meant a lot...I don't have some kind of weird control over you now, do I?" Sounding frightened of the prospect.

"I will follow your orders." Samara says. "But I will still give you my opinion, and if you make me do something too detestable I will be forced to kill you when this mission is over."

Shepard relaxes. "Holding you to it." She cocks a grin at the Justicar. "Welcome aboard, Samara."

The Justicar smiles back, bowing her head. "Happy to be of service, Shepard."

' _A woman who is afraid of having too much power over others, and relieved to know they are willing to put her down for misdeeds is an odd woman indeed.'_ I don't think I've ever met anyone quite like Shepard.

"Time to head back to the ship, boys and girls."


End file.
